Lithuania’s preparations for the adoption of the euro next year seem overall well on track, the European Commission (EC) has said, calling on Lithuania’s authorities to address the remaining concerns related to euro introduction and to increase consumers’ confidence so as to ensure smooth euro changeover.

Finland and Estonia have agreed on the details of a liquefied natural gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia, meaning the project can finally go ahead. Financing for the line and the terminals serving it has still not yet been confirmed, but a launch target has been set for 2019. The wildly expensive project is not without its critics however.

Stability and development of the entire Central Asian region depends upon positions of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev declared at the meeting with President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov on November 25, reports Akorda press service.

With only three days to go before a deadline to reach a nuclear accord to constrain Iran’s nuclear program, the talks here appeared to be marked by a heavy dose of brinkmanship on Friday as Iran’s top negotiator made clear he was leaving for Tehran to consult with the country’s leadership — only to reverse himself later in the day.

President of the Swiss Confederation and Chairperson-in-Office of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Didier Burkhalter visited Astana Nov. 20-21 to discuss with Kazakh officials political and economic cooperation with Kazakhstan and the OSCE’s response to the Ukrainian crisis.

Despite Western economic sanctions, Iranian-Turkish relations have been developing in many different directions in recent years. Illustratively, on October 24–25, the Eastern Anatolia Development Agency (DAKA), Iran’s Foreign Ministry Institution for Political and International Studies (IPIS) and the Turkish Asian Center for Strategic Studies (TASAM) jointly hosted the Turkey-Iran Van Forum in the Turkish city of Van. The main theme of the Forum, which was inspired by a Turkish-Iranian foreign ministers’ meeting from earlier this year, was “Sectoral and Financial Deepening” (tasam.org, accessed November 14). In this framework, participants discussed topics that included “Public Diplomacy,” “Energy and Petrochemistry,” “Turkey-Iran: Dialogue of Civilizations,” “Logistics, Transportation and Communication” and “Economy and Trade” (Ihlas Anadolu Agency, October 24).

Research and development can open the EU to new ideas and technologies that can help us manage cheaper energy costs, cheaper industry costs, and a cleaner and safer environment for all the EU. If anything we have to increase funding in R&D, not cut it, says Victor Negrescu.